As a personal trainer, one of the main reasons people seek my advice is because they feel like they don't have enough time to work out. With the kids back at school, snow on the ground and a 40-plus hour work week; spending hours at the gym isn't possible, but is it even necessary? Depending [...]
Why do people use weightlifting belts? A study out of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN had 352 healthy strength training members (189 men, 156 women, 7 gender not indicated) aged 20-72 years complete a survey about lifting belt use. 90% of belt users and 63% of former belt users utilized belts to prevent injury, [...]
No strength training The biggest mistake women can make in the gym is avoiding strength training. While the treadmill and spinning bikes get consistent use, the barbell and dumbbells are often neglected. As a trainer, I've noticed many women gravitate toward the 3-pound dumbbells for 15-25 repetitions. Most studies have found the average women's handbag [...]
A common fat loss strategy used by many fitness enthusiasts and those trying to lose weight is to perform cardiovascular exercise early the morning on an empty stomach. This strategy was popularized by Bill Phillips in his book, “
The Pareto Principle was inspired by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. Pareto was one of the first to analyze economics using statistics. In the late 1800s, he observed that 80 percent of the land in Italy was owned by 20 percent of the population. Later, while gardening, he noted that 20 percent of the peapods [...]
Many sports require the total body movement of pushing while standing. Football linemen are excellent examples of this, wrestlers and MMA athletes also clearly demonstrate the need to exert pressing force while standing. This same pressing movement is also important in daily activities for the general population. Many functional activities are done while standing and [...]
Over the last decade or so, the kettlebell has enjoyed a successful reintroduction into the fitness industry. Kettlebell exercises are usually fast paced, are technically relatively simple, and tend to involve the whole body; the foundational kettlebell exercise, the swing, provides an excellent example of this. The swing exercise is initiated by driving the hips [...]
Slips and falls are common with the ice and outdoor activities Lake Tahoe residents are accustom to. However, for people with osteoporosis falling down can lead to devastating results. Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time, and it is a major health concern. According to a 2004 report [...]
Ask anyone that has pulled a muscle and they will tell you the importance of flexibility. Flexibility can be defined as the ability to move a joint though it’s full range of motion. Good flexibility is important for normal movement and injury prevention. Flexible hip and upper back joints help to maintain spinal alignment and [...]
What does it mean to train in the zone? Some people getting into the zone is for a long distance run, or maybe a road bike race. Others it may be a after a cup (or three) of coffee and in the office typing away. This zone is more of a mental mindset, but when [...]